Steam-separator.



J. E. SWEET.

STEAM SBPARATOR.

APPLIOATIUN FILED DEC. 21, 1910.

Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

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M'menes:

UNITED sTAtr asZgrENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. SWEET, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE DIRECT SEPARATORCOMPANY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

STEAM-SEPARATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

To all whom it may concern: I Be it known that I, JOHN E. SWEET, ofSyracuse,', in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Steam-Separators, of which thefollowing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is afull, clear, and exact description. I

This-invention relates to certain improvements in steam separatorsadapted to be connected to the exhaust ports of steam engines, steampumps and other apparatusin which a reater or less quantity of oil usedfor lubricating purposes is brought into direct contactwith the steamand is thereby held in suspension and carried out through the exhaustport. This exhaust steam is frequently utilized for heating, drying andother purposes and if sufficiently pure may be condensed and used asa'water supply for various uses such as ice plants, cooling towers andthe like and unless the oil is separated from the steam, the heating orother pipes through which the exhaust steam is passed become coated onthe interior with oil or a composition of foreign matter, thereby notonly insulating the heat of the steam from the pipes and preventingeflective radiation but also causes more or less of the foreign matterand oil to be carried ofi' with the steam either to the atmosphere or tothe apparatus with which the exhaust may be connected.

The main object, therefore, of my present invention is to obviate theseobjectionable results by separating the oil and other foreign matterfrom the steam immediately upon or soon after its exit from the ex-'haust port and at the same time to remove as far as practicable anyexcess water of condensation which may escape through the exhaust port,thereby leaving the steam practically pure to be utilized for anypurpose desired. l

Other objects and uses relating to the specific parts of the separatorwill be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a lengthwise sectional view of one form ofmy improved separator showing a conical baffle plate and exit tube,partly in elevation. Fig. 2 is a. transverse sectional view taken online 2--2,

Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a lengthwise sectional view of another form ofseparator showing an angular baffle plate having its sides convergingtoward the inlet. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view through thedevice shown in Fig. 3 taken on line 4-4.

In each of the forms of separator shown, a flaring screen preferably ofperforated sheet metal is placed within a sultable case between theinlet and outlet thereof with its apex or angle facing the inlet inclose proximit thereto and substantially coincident with the axisthereof so that the inflowing oil-laden steam will be split or dividedand impinged directly against the flaring sides of the screen, therebycausing the more inert oil and water of condensation to adhere to andgravitatedownwardly along said screen into a suitable troughprovidedtherefor, the pure steam being deflected from a direct course from theinlet to the outlet densation to gravitate upon and through a perforatedbottom with which the apparatus is provided.

The apparatus shown in F igs. -.-1- and --2- comprises an outer case orshell -1- and an inner conical screen -2- which incloses a similarlyformed baflie cone -3-.-. The case 1 may be made of cast metal or anyother suitable material and preferably comprises a cylindrical main body-4* having, in this instance, a reduced upper end -5- provided with aninlet -6. The opposite or lower end of the shell or casing 1 is closedby a suitable cap or head -7- also of cast metal or other suitablematerial and provided with a central tube -8- of considerably smallerdiameter than that of the interior of the shell into which it projectsand is formed with a central lengthwise outlet passage 9- for the exitof the steam. The head 7-- and tubular outlet 8-- are preferably formedintegral, the head being secured ,to the adjacent end of the casing -1by suitable fastening means as bolts 10-' and is provided with adrainage outlet -11- at one side of the tube --8- for permitting. thepassage of oil and water of condensation which may accumulate in thebottom of the casing around the tubular extension --8'-. A suitablesight gage -12 is connected at points one above the other to theinterior of the case by pipes 13- and 14. to indicate the level of suchwater or oil and also serving to indicate the amount of oil which mayinner end of the tube 8. This perforated flange 15 is provided near itsouter edge with a plurality of integral upwardly projecting tubularconduits -17 preferably spaced uniform distances apart circumferentiallyand communicating with a horizontal circular trough 18 which is securedto and preferably integral with the upper ends of the tubular conduits17- whereby said trough is supported in a plane some distance above thatof the flange -15- but in a plane below that of the upper end of thetube 8.

The base of the bathe cone e3- and also the circular trough 18 are ofsomewhat greater diameter than but concentric with the upper end of thetube 8 thereby leaving a clear open space between the upper end of thetube and base of the cone and also between the perforated flange --15and trou h -18- between the tubular conduits 1 for the passage of steamaround and under the lower edge of the baflle cone,

thence upwardly and downwardly into the upper end of the tube 8.

The comcal screen -2 is seated upon and. around and is substantiallycoextensive .with the conical baflie -3, said screen be- I I along thebafiie cone or screen into the underlying trough 18- from which it isconducted through the tubular conduits -,17--

into the underlying chamber 16. and maybe drawn oil when necessarythrough the drain conduit 11-'--.

The conical members 2- and 3- and tubular outlet 8-- and also the trough--18- and perforated flange 15" are, in

this instance, substantially-concentric with the axis of the shell ofeasing -1.

close proximity to such inlet leaving a considerable space between thescreen and outer shell or casing for the free passage of the steamwithout liability of producing excessive back pressure upon the engineor pump.

By extendin the inner ends of the tube 8 into an a short distance abovethe lower larger end of the conical members 2- and 3, the steam enteringthe shell 1--- is caused to return upwardly after passing downwardly andunder the lower end of the cone before it enters the upper end of thetube 8- for final discharge from the separator.

The oil-laden exhaust steam entering the inlet --6 impinges directlyagainst and is dividedor split up by the conical screen '-2 therebycausing the perforations of small pockets formed therein to collect andseparate the more inert particles of oil and water of condensation whichare caused to gravitate along the flaring sides of the cone members 2-and 3 into the underlying trough 18 and thence through the conduits 17into the underlying chamher -16,. while the pure steam continues ofcondensation beyond what may be held in suspension by the steam,gravitates onto the underlying perforated plate or flange 15- andthrough the perforations thereof into the underlying chamber -16, thusassuring a more perfect separation of the oil and excess water from thesteam and allowing the latter to pass outwardly through the dischargetube 8- in a practically pure state.

It will be observed that the cone members 2 and -3, discharge tube -8-and perforated flange -l5- are all carried by the head 7 and maytherefore be removed from or reinserted into the casing with the head.

In Figs/3 and 4: I have shown a modified form of separator comprising anouter shell or casing -20'- and a flaring screen 21- which is mountedupon a similarly flaring baflle 22. This separator is adapted toy beconnected to horizontal pipes and for this purpose its main body issubstantially cylindrical and provided near its upper end v tapering orreduced and provided 'With a drip pipe -27-. The flaring screen 21' andits supporting bafile 22 are preferably secured to the head 26- andextend downwardly across and some distance below the inner ends of theinlet 23- and outlet ,-24. Secured to and preferably integral with thelower end of the baffle 22 is a perforated bottom plate or flange 28ofslightly less diameter than the inner diameter of the casing to permitthe oil and water of condensation to pass therethrough into anunderlying chamber 29- in the bottom of the case or shell -20. The lowerends of the sides of the flaring members 21 and -'22 terminate a shortdistance above the upper face of the perforated plate --28 thus formingintervening'passages 30- to permit the steam to pass under the loweredges of said sides and to return upwardly to the outlet -24r, theperforated plate -28- being united to the inner baflle '--22-- bycomparatively narrow studs or tie pieces -31. The sides of theflaringunembers --21 and -22- are substantially flat and disposed at anangle to each other so as toconverge toward the inlet with the apex inclose proximity thereto and substantially coincident with the axisthereof so that the inflowing steam will be divided or split up andil'npinged directly against the. flaring sides of the perforated screen.This screen is preferably made of metal perforated by stamping outportions thereof leaving a series of tongues united to the main body andforming a plurality of small pockets for the collection water to readilygravitate along said troughs and onto the underlying perforated plate-28- and thence into the underlying chamber -29. A sight gage -3 1-similar to the gage, -12 is connected bysuitable pipes .one above theother to the interior of the chamber -29 to indicate the downwardlyunder the lower edges of the members 21- and -22- and trou h 33-- andthence upwardly and outward y through the outlet '-24-, the excess ofwater of condensation which cannot be held in suspension by the steambeing liberated at the return of the steam around the lower edges of themembers '-21 and --22-- and is deposited upon the perforated plate -28--and then into the chamber 29-.

In both forms of my invention it will'bc observed that the steam iscaused to pass downwardly and then upwardly in transit from the inlet tothe outlet which is one of 4 the important features of my inventiontaken in connection with the interposition. of a flaring battle betweensaid inlet and outlet.

.What I claim is:

A steam separator comprising an outer shell or casing having an inletand an outlet, a flaring screen interposed between the inlet and outletand having its smaller side facing the inlet, said screen having one endterminating in a plane below the inlet and below the inner end of theoutlet whereby the steam is caused v to pass downwardly and thenupwardly in transit. from the inlet to said outlet. v

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this 16th day ofDecember 1910.

JOHN E. SWEET.

so so

